Leadership

Missy is the head dietitian for Taco Bell Corp. spearheading the strategic global efforts for nutrition and sustainability. Within this role, she is responsible for sensible menu development, regulatory compliance, stakeholder engagement, animal welfare, and sustainability. She works closely with executive, legal, brand marketing, and public relations teams to communicate Taco Bell’s commitment to quality and affordable food experiences. Prior to joining Taco Bell, she taught women and children essential culinary nutrition skills, and published a cookbook called WIC Tested, Dietitian Approved for the WIC Program.

Deanne Brandstetter, M.B.A., R.D. has over thirty years of experience in the food and nutrition business. As Vice President of Nutrition & Wellness for Compass Group, North America, she leads a team that coordinates wellness programs for foodservice clients and develops innovative & award winning cross sector nutrition & wellness initiatives.

Deanne’s marketing background and passion for great food has fueled her goal of creatively translating medical and nutrition science into innovative exciting food concepts for Compass Group customers.

Becki Holmes is the Founder of Foodwit – a scientific and regulatory consulting agency serving the food, restaurant, life sciences, and e-commerce industries. She has held scientific and regulatory leadership roles at Red Bull North America and Starbucks Coffee Company with accomplishments including deployment of compliance strategies for nutrition labeling, trans fat, sodium reduction, menu labeling, and caffeine initiatives. Becki is an active member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and has served in a variety of elected and appointed positions within the Dietitians in Business & Communications practice group and the Academy's Legislative and Public Policy Committee. In her spare time, Becki enjoys spending time with her husband and two kids in Portland, OR.

Sarah Hendren, MS, RDN, LD, CD, is the Nutrition & Quality Assurance Manager for Culver’s. She is responsible for executing the nutrition strategy and provides brand direction as part of Culver’s Menu Strategy Team. She works closely with marketing, public relations, legal and quality assurance, providing thought leadership and regulatory guidance to communicate Culver’s commitment to quality and where their food comes from. Sarah is actively engaged in shaping Culver’s sustainability and animal welfare positioning and holds a leadership role within the US Roundtable for Sustainable Beef.

Award-winning author, Sylvia Klinger is the founder of Hispanic Food Communications. Sylvia is a Hispanic native and leading expert in cross-cultural Hispanic nutrition and health issues. She uses her in-depth culinary and cultural expertise to introduce new strategies for wellness to an increasingly health-conscious population. She is relentlessly passionate about helping people fall in love with the process of creating and enjoying delicious but most importantly, nutritious foods.

Elaine is the owner and President of EZ Nutrition Consulting, PC & Associates, specializing in Food Service Systems, Geriatric Care, and Quality Management for long term care facilities. As a national speaker on nutrition and culture change in long term care, she inspires her audience to lead and empower their staff to enhance the dining experience for the clients they serve.

Tori Schmitt, MS, RDN, LD is the founder of YES! Nutrition, LLC, an Ohio-based nutrition communications company and private practice helping others say “YES!” to living a more nutritious, energized life. Tori works with industry brands and organizations to develop evidence-based creative content, including customized food and nutrition videos, live social media broadcasts and blogs. Tori regularly provides nutrition expertise for the media and has been featured in U.S. News & World Report, Women’s Health, Fitness, and SHAPE.

Nikki’s a clinical dietitian in the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex. Previously, she interned at Brinker International, the parent company for Chili’s/Maggiano’s aiding in recipe testing and nutrient analysis. Nikki’s an active member of the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics and most recently she served on the Academy’s Member Services Advisory Committee and as the Texas Academy Northeast Region Director. Nikki’s the 2018 Northeast Region Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year.

Seyler has nearly 15 years’ experience within the nutrition/fitness marketing and communications space. She has provided US and global counsel to 40+ brands, including Abbott Nutrition, Mars brands, Gatorade, and Clorox brands. Seyler currently serves as the immediate past president for the Illinois AND, and as a Board of Director member for the Chicago Food and Nutrition Network. She lives in Elmhurst with her husband and two children - Major (6) and Levi (5).

Nicole has served on DBC's Executive Committee since 2015 and is returning as the Newsletter Editor for a second year. Outside of DBC, Nicole is a dietitian for Chartwells Higher Education, a sector of Compass Group USA. In addition to health & wellness promotions across her region's college campuses, Nicole also works closely with dining services to consult chefs and retail managers on menu labeling, food and sales promotions, sustainability, and allergen management. On her spare time Nicole loves to eat and drink her way through the DC Metro Area!

Allison Stock is the Team Lead for the Nutrition Resource Center at Gordon Food Service. Her primary focus is writing healthcare menus for senior living communities, training customers in the Cycle Menu Management software program and creating nutrition and food safety tools and resources. She attended Michigan State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics with a specialization in Health Promotion. She currently serves as the Associate Newsletter Editor for Dietitians in Business and Communications (DBC).

Tyler works in the Well-being & Health Promotion Department at San Diego State University, where she designs and implements nutrition programming and provides one-on-one nutrition counseling. She recently wrote and received a grant to fund a mobile demonstration kitchen program, teaching students how to prepare easy, healthy meals. Tyler also works alongside the Trader Joe’s store on campus to provide grocery store tours and trains Peer Health Educators (PHEs) in nutrition basics and intuitive eating.

Alexis Ray is a Wellness Specialist for Plus One Health Management where she provides nutrition counseling, group presentations, and oversees nutrition operations for the onsite gym. She received her M.S. in Exercise and Sports Nutrition from Texas Woman's University and her B.S. in Nutritional Sciences from Texas A&M University. Alexis is also a Registered Yoga Teacher in the Dallas area. She enjoys combining her passion for both nutrition and yoga into her career. Connect with Alexis at alexis.neal.ray@gmail.com and @liveinspiredRD.

Karina Jaime Carbajal is DBC’s Newsletter Editor and Creative Content Cochair. She graduated from San Diego State University in May of 2018 with a major in Foods and Nutrition and a minor in Interdisciplinary Studies. While attending SDSU, she was as a Peer Heath Educator and an intern for the SDSU’s Well-being and Health Promotion Department’s Registered Dietitian. Her next goal is to enter and complete a Dietetic Internship to become a Registered Dietitian herself.

Lily Chen is a Registered Dietitian (USA) and Accredited Practising Dietitian (Australia) who has extensive experience in teaching, clinical care, and management. She received her Bachelor of Science from New York University and Master of Science from University at Buffalo, State University of New York. Besides English, she is fluent in Chinese Mandarin, Taiwanese, and Spanish.

Jackie Schulz, MS, RD, CSP, LDN is the Nutrition Lead for Kraft Heinz North America. She received her B.S. in Dietetics from the University of California, Davis and her M.S. in Clinical Nutrition from Rush University in Chicago.Prior roles include sales, nutrition marketing, regulatory affairs, and product development. As a Registered Dietitian with a background in pediatric nutrition, she is passionate about effectively communicating evidence-based nutrition information to help individuals and groups improve their quality of life.

Lee has extensive experience in dietetics, serving as the Clinical Manager of an acute care hospital, Executive Director of Nutrition in a chain of 24 nursing homes, and spent 5 ½ years in private practice while living in Europe. Lee has spent the last 16 years working for the Gordon Food Service marketing team where she currently serves as a Marketing Manager in the Ohio Valley and Allegheny Valley

Alby is a student at Texas Christian University in the Coordinated Program in Dietetics. On top of his dietetic internship, he is a marketing intern for TCU Dining and recently been elected as a Historian for Texas Student Dietetics Association where he will be handling their social media. He will be entering his senior year the fall of 2019. Prior to college, he was in the army for six years.